Six months in the process you can see the stands being built and the beginning of a canopy on the East side. 100% of the seats in the stadium will eventually be covered by the canopy.

North end (February 2020)

Ten months into construction the skeleton of the canopy sits above the West and East sides of the stadium. A canopy still has to be installed over the North and South ends. By July, a roof will be installed on the canopy. The club indicated that once the canopy is completed they’ll have a definite date for project completion to report to MLS.

South End (May 2020)

North End (May 2020)

In May 2020, a roof was being added to the canopy skeleton on the East side of the stadium.

What’s the stadium timeline?

Construction broke ground in fall 2019 with Anthony Precourt and other Austin FC owners, as well as city council members, the MLS president, and other local dignitaries on hand for the groundbreaking festivities.

Construction will take approximately 18 months. Austin FC has a live construction camera on their website if you want to peek in on the progress.

In April 2021, the stadium will be open for business. This means Austin FC’s first matches in March will be away games—not quite as long as what Portland experienced in 2019 with their construction project.

Not affiliated with the club’s project, a sign near the Austin FC tract advertises an office tower, called Arena Tower, to be constructed on the land adjoining the stadium. The Arena group has approached Austin FC about partnering with their property in some manner, likely for alternative parking on match day.

Proposed project next to stadium (August 2019)

Stadium renderings, design plans, and experience center, oh my

Austin FC released initial renderings in late 2018, revealing images of the stadium’s interior and exterior from various angles.

In June 2019, the club released new renderingshighlighting changes to the interior, such as larger canopies over the seats, as well as showing off different luxury suites, plus a bar (surprise!) in the supporter’s section. No signs of a queso fountain yet.

Design plans for the stadium site include a public park, a long terraced green space, as well as limited surface parking on the North and East side. Architecture firm Gensler Sports(designers of LAFC’sBanc of California stadium) and construction company Austin Commercial will build the stadium. CAA Icon acts as the project management firm.

Access roads from Burnet Road and Braker Lane on the north side will be the primary routes for fans to enter the stadium. On the south end, McKalla Place will be used primarily for deliveries to the loading dock of the stadium. Also, additional parking on the McKalla Place side will be available until affordable housing is built in phase 2 (planned for 2025).

In August 2019, a detailed 3-D scale model and virtual reality room of the stadium interior was unveiled at the Austin FC front office. Invitations for the Experience Center began to go out in November for Premium deposit holders to tour.

Birth of a stadium

Signed on a cold day in December 2018, a lease agreement was inked between the city and Precourt Sport Ventures (nowTwo Oak Ventures). It’s a 20-year lease on the city’s land, with the club paying annual rent of $550K starting in 2027. As part of the deal, the stadium will be built on the club’s dime—to be handed over to the ATX upon completion.

Earlier that year—August 15, 2018 to be exact—is when the stadium officially got the green light. The Austin City Council voted 7-4 to execute a lease with PSV for the McKalla Place tract, after months of agonizing delays in voting. Council members Leslie Pool, Ora Houston, Ellen Troxclair, and Alison Alter voted against the stadium.

To diehard supporters, that contentious vote of 7-4 is ingrained in their brain. In 2021, don’t be surprised if you hear chants on match day of “7-4” “7-4” referencing the historic vote in Austin.

Published by Troy Bryant

Troy Bryant is from Austin and attended The University of Texas. You can usually find him at Veracruz All Natural in a PSG jersey or at home watching the MLS. C'est la vie.
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